A Change of Heart: A Christian Romance (The Callaghans & McFaddens Book 1)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “Have you ever been to Winnipeg before?” Steve asked as the truck continued along a four-lane highway that seemed to skirt the northern edge of the city.

  “No, sir. Calgary’s been my home for my whole life, and I never really felt the call to travel and see the world.” Ethan wondered how that might make him appear to the man, but he wasn’t sorry for the way he’d had to live his life. Sierra was worth every sacrifice he had made to stay close to her and to provide for her in a way their father never would.

  “Sounds a bit like me,” Steve said, sending a grin Ethan’s way. “It’s why I’m looking for someone to take over for Bennett. I’ve worked a lot of years and would like to enjoy a few with Emily before we get too old to travel and do things like that. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I love this city, but I would like to see a little bit more of the world. I think it’s time.”

  Traffic began to get heavier as Steve turned off the highway they’d been on to one heading south. This one took them through a more populated area, and he looked around, eager to acquaint himself with the city he would soon be calling home. He spotted the signs of some familiar stores and restaurants. McDonalds. Walmart. Home Depot.

  Steve continued a running commentary as he pointed out different things along the route. Soon they were turning off that highway onto another road heading east. It seemed to lead to a more commercial area, and it wasn’t long before Steve swung the truck into the parking lot of a large one-story building. Ethan recognized the logo on the wall of the building and felt the knot of tension in his stomach tighten up again.

  Would this be his future place of employment?

  After Steve parked the truck in front of the building, he climbed out. Gesturing for Ethan to follow him, the man headed inside. Once through the large glass doors, the space opened into a spacious foyer area, the walls of which were decorated with photographs of buildings. There were groups of comfortable looking armchairs throughout the foyer as well as an area that had a water dispenser and a coffee machine. Beyond a curved reception desk were the entrances to two halls that led away from each end of the desk.

  Steve held out his hand toward the reception desk and the woman with blonde hair seated behind it. “This is Grace Moore. She is our receptionist and a close family friend. Gracie, this is Ethan Collins.”

  The young woman stood and held out her hand as she greeted him with a friendly smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Ethan. Welcome to Winnipeg.”

  Ethan took her hand and gave it a gentle shake. “Thank you.”

  Having women in his workplace would be something of an adjustment. At his job, there had been no females on any of the crews, neither had there been any in the office. Occasionally, Bob’s wife would come into the office to help, but otherwise, all administration duties had been carried out by a man who had been with the company longer than Ethan.

  “I’ll give you a quick tour, and then we’ll meet with Bennett for a little while.” Steve led the way down the hallway to the left of the reception desk. “Tristan and Mitch have their offices here. We also have a lunch room in the center area, and at the back, we have a boardroom along with my office and Bennett’s.”

  Though Steve had gestured to the offices along the way, they hadn’t stopped to speak to anyone who might be in them. They soon rounded a couple of corners and were coming up the other hallway back toward the reception area.

  “And this office here near the front is my daughter Makayla’s.” At that doorway, Steve paused then reached out to rap on the open door. “Good morning, sweetheart. Do you have a minute?”

  For the first time, Ethan heard hesitation in the man’s voice. But before he could think on it any further, Steve stepped into the office and motioned for him to follow. As Ethan joined Steve, his gaze fell on the woman seated behind a large desk. While Grace, the receptionist, had given off a girl-next-door type of vibe, Makayla McFadden came off as very poised. Her dark brown hair was pulled back from her face, revealing delicate features and dark blue eyes. Her face was expertly made up with dark lashes around her eyes and dramatic red lipstick, giving her a very striking appearance. She wore a white blouse underneath a fitted navy suit jacket.

  Ethan’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at her, which made no sense to him at all. He’d never thought too long on what his type of woman might be, but if he had, this woman would not have been it. And she still wouldn’t be. He was here to land a job, not find a date.

  However, there was something in her eyes as she regarded him that set Ethan’s heart racing for another not-so-good reason. As much as he wanted to be at C&M Builders, it was pretty clear from how she was looking at him that Makayla didn’t want him there. A sick feeling settled in his gut as he listened to Steve introduce him.

  “Sweetheart, I’d like you to meet Ethan Collins. Ethan, this is my daughter, Makayla. She takes care of the administrative side of things. Everything from accounting to payroll falls under her responsibility.”

  Ethan was acutely aware of his thrift store clothing and the calluses on his palms and fingers as he reached out to take the hand she held out. It was soft, as he’d imagined, but her grip was firm.

  “Welcome to Winnipeg, Mr. Collins.” Her greeting was distant and formal, and Ethan wished he knew why she, out of all the family members he’d met so far, was so reserved at meeting him.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ethan said with a nod of his head then he looked in Steve’s direction. Hopefully, the man would not prolong their stay in this office where the tension was so thick it was almost palpable.

  “Hey there, Ethan. Good morning, Dad.” Ethan turned to see Bennett in the hallway outside Makayla’s office. The man wore an outfit similar to what he’d had on the night before with the addition of a tie. He leaned forward and stuck his head in the door. “Morning, sis.”

  “Good morning, Bennett,” Steve said. He greeted his son with a smile then turned back to Makayla. “Well, sweetheart, we’ll let you get on with your day. If you need either of us, we’ll be in the boardroom.”

  Ethan stepped out of the office to join Bennett then walked with the man as he headed back down the hallway to a door that had smoked glass windows on either side of it. Bennett opened the door and stepped into the room so Ethan followed him inside.

  “Have a seat,” Bennett said as he gestured to the large boardroom table on which were already laying some pieces of paper and a couple of files along with a carafe and a plate of muffins. Ethan chose the seat closest to the two with the paperwork in front of them. As Bennett and Steve took their seats—one beside and one across from him—Ethan sent up a silent prayer that he would say the right things to these two men.

  Because, in spite of what Makayla McFadden might want, Ethan was going to try his best to land this job.

  *

  “Well, isn’t he just the cutest?”

  Makayla resolutely kept her gaze on her monitor until she’d finished writing her email before looking at Grace, who had taken up residence in the chair on the other side of the desk. Her best friend’s eyes were sparkling as she waited for Makayla to respond.

  She quickly tried to figure out the response that would result in the least amount of nagging from Grace. For sure denying Ethan Collin’s attractiveness would just send up red flags.

  “Yes, he is definitely that,” Makayla said, hoping that her agreement with Grace’s comment would prevent any further discussion on the topic.

  But, alas, she hoped in vain.

  “I wonder if he’s single. He isn’t wearing a ring, so I don’t think he’s married.”

  Makayla shook her head. “You know in this business that doesn’t mean much. A lot of the guys don’t wear rings because of the manual labor they do.”

  “True, but still. He didn’t seem married.”

  “Did he flirt with you?” Makayla arched a brow at her friend.

  “No, he didn’t. He was the perfect gentleman when your dad introduced us.”

  “T
hen how exactly did he not seem married?”

  “Fine.” Grace blew out an exasperated breath that ruffled her blonde bangs. “I have no idea if he’s married or not, but aren’t you at least curious?”

  “Not really. This is a workplace, not my personal dating pool.” She had learned her lesson very early on about dating guys who worked for the company.

  Grace stared at her for a moment “Do you already know if he’s married? Did your dad tell you?”

  “No to both questions. I have no idea, and I don’t really care.” He had seemed nice enough for the minute he’d been in her office. And Grace wasn’t wrong. Ethan Collins was handsome in a scruffy sort of way. However, she usually preferred her men a little more polished. “And you shouldn’t either since you’re happily married.”

  Grace wrinkled her nose. “I’m not interested for myself. It’s just been awhile since your last date. Fresh meat is fresh meat.”

  “He hasn’t even gotten the job yet so who says he’s fresh meat?” Makayla turned her gaze back to her computer, hoping her friend would get the hint and leave. “Besides, you know my feelings on dating.”

  “You are no fun,” Grace huffed before getting up from her chair and flouncing out of the office. And yes, the girl could flounce in her girly dresses and high heels.

  Makayla wished she could have sat in on the meeting with the three men, but she had no part in the final decision on whether or not to hire Ethan Collins. Her dad and Bennett would be making that decision. And she knew, in her heart, that they would make the right one even if she didn’t like it. Her dad would never leave the company unless he knew for certain that those who would be running it in his absence would do so with the same determination as he had. Unfortunately, that still didn’t mean she was excited about the prospect.

  She knew she had to put her feelings aside—at least at the office—and be professional in her dealings with whoever they ended up hiring. Though there didn’t seem to be too much doubt that the person would be Ethan Collins. While she remained uncertain about the latest change, her dad seemed completely focused on bringing Ethan on board. Even though her dad had talked like he was interviewing him as just another candidate for the job, there had been something in his voice that led Makayla to believe Ethan would be the man hired. Ethan might not have been aware of it, but she was pretty sure that the job was his even before his plane touched down in Winnipeg.

  “Hey, sis.” Makayla looked over to see Tristan in her doorway. He gave her a slight smile as he came into her office and sat down. “So what do you think of the new guy?”

  4

  W hen Makayla had first met Tristan, he’d been a quiet, intense little boy. In her eight-year-old mind, she’d wondered if something was wrong with him. As the years had gone by, however, she’d realized that just because Tristan didn’t talk much, it didn’t mean he wasn’t smart. He was, in fact, the smartest of them all. He’d graduated high school just before his seventeenth birthday and had gone on to study in the Department of Architecture at the University of Manitoba. He’d graduated the previous year at the top of his class and had registered as an architect. In the past year, because of Tristan’s expertise, they’d been able to expand C&M into home and commercial design instead of just building and renovations. He was already making a name for himself with his unique home and office designs.

  He’d grown a lot since their first meeting, but he still had a head full of shaggy blond curls and blue eyes that were at times shy and at other times inquisitive. That he was sitting in her office now told Makayla that he had some thoughts on Ethan Collins. While most the time he had his attention focused on his latest design, that certainly wasn’t the case all of the time. Because he was so reserved, he tended to observe things about people that no one else did.

  “He seems nice enough,” Makayla said as she doodled on the notepad in front of her. “What do you think of him?”

  Tristan sat there for a moment staring at her, his gaze thoughtful. “I remember Mom telling us the story about how Ryan was so determined that Mitch needed his friendship when they met. And how excited he was when we all came over that first day. He said that he’d asked God for Mitch but that God had given him all of us.”

  Makayla nodded. She remembered how insistent Ryan had been that Mitch needed his help. There had just been something about Mitch that had drawn Ryan to him even at the tender age of seven. “I remember that too. But what does that have to do with Ethan Collins?”

  Tristan shifted in his seat, his gaze dropping for a moment before he looked at her again. “For some reason, I’m getting that same feeling about him.”

  “You mean you feel that Ethan needs this job? I thought that was fairly obvious since he’s moving here from Calgary.”

  After a brief hesitation, Tristan shook his head. “Well, yes, he does need this job. But I think it’s more than that. I think he needs…us.”

  Makayla’s brows lifted as she stared at her brother. “What do you mean he needs us?”

  “It was just a feeling I got this morning at breakfast. Watching him watch us, there was just something there. It was like he was experiencing…family for the first time.”

  “I think he has a family. At least a sister. And let’s be honest here, our family isn’t something a lot of people have experienced.”

  Tristan nodded. “Yes, that’s true. You probably think I’m nuts, but it’s a real feeling in my gut.”

  “Well, I don’t think you have to worry about him not being part of the company. I’m pretty sure that the job is his.”

  Tristan nodded again, his gaze thoughtful. “Dad did seem fairly certain that Ethan was the right man to take over Bennett’s position.” He tilted his head. “Are you coming out tomorrow night for the barbecue?”

  Makayla wrinkled her nose. “I wasn’t aware that attendance was optional.”

  “You know Mom and Dad would never force us to do something we really didn’t want to do. Especially now that we’re adults.”

  Makayla sighed. “Doesn’t mean I don’t feel like I have to be there. I know it’s my choice, but I also know they’d be disappointed if I didn’t show up. And you know how that goes.”

  The smile that graced Tristan’s face, this time, lingered a little bit longer. “Yes, I know how that goes.” He got to his feet. “I guess I’d better get back to work.”

  After Tristan had left her office, Makayla thought about what he’d said. She knew she’d been selfish in her reaction to her dad’s decision to hire someone new, and now Tristan’s observations brought yet another angle to the whole situation. Maybe this was as much for Ethan as it was for her dad.

  That still didn’t make her happy, but at least it made her think.

  *

  Ethan let himself into his room at the Callaghans’ house then walked to the bed and fell across it. Being mentally alert for that long was something he wasn’t used to. Now he just wanted an hour or so to decompress and to think about everything the day had held so far. But it wasn’t over yet. Bennett would be coming around five to pick him up to go for dinner and then a Jets’ playoff game. The man had promised him good food and good seats, so Ethan agreed to go even though he was pretty sure it was expected of him.

  Stretching out his arms and legs, Ethan stared up at the ceiling. This job was everything he’d ever wanted, but he wasn’t sure he was the best man for it. It came with a lot of responsibility, way more than what he’d had working for Bob, but both Steve and Bennett had assured him that they would work alongside him to train him for anything he didn’t know.

  It had been a weird day. From the moment they’d sat down together in the boardroom, the conversation had seemed to indicate that this was more of an informative meeting than an interview. They hadn’t really asked him about his qualifications, there had been more time spent talking about the company and how they operated. And while Ethan had been grateful for the information, it had left him a little confused. More than once he’d wanted to ask
if he had the job, but then he hadn’t wanted them to think he was assuming he did. It left him in an awkward sort of limbo.

  But that uncertainty aside, he’d loved learning more about the business and how they did things. It sounded exactly like the sort of company he’d wanted to work for, so he really hoped that they did want him for the job. His favorite part of the day had been when they had gone out to visit some of the job sites. He’d met Mitch, another son, who did the job at C&M Builders that Ethan did for Bob. The guy didn’t seem to have any resentment toward Ethan, however, so maybe he just wasn’t interested in stepping into his brother’s position in the company.

  There would be a lot for him to learn on the job—if it really was his—but Ethan thought he was up for the challenge. And for some very strange reason, he got the feeling that Steve and Bennett thought he was too.

  Ethan pulled his phone out of his pocket and set the timer on it for forty-five minutes. He hoped to be able to catch a quick nap before having to get ready to go out with Bennett. Unfortunately, his mind didn’t settle as quickly as he would’ve liked, and it seemed he’d barely dropped into sleep when the timer went off.

  He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, Ethan wondered if perhaps the nap had done more harm than good. Still feeling sluggish, he made the decision to take a quick shower in hopes that it would rejuvenate him.

  By the time he’d showered and dressed, his phone showed it was five o’clock, so he left the room to see if Bennett was there yet. Thankfully, he felt better after the shower, and the few minutes on his own left him feeling ready to take on the rest of the day.

  Bennett was chatting in the kitchen with Emily, Steve, and Mitch when Ethan walked in. He was glad that he’d chosen to wear a white button-down shirt and a pair of black jeans since Bennett wore something similar. Ethan gave himself a mental shake. Never before had he been that concerned over what to wear. Hopefully, if he did get this job, he’d feel more confident in his clothing choices because he was starting to feel like Sierra when she expressed angst over her clothing options. He was a twenty-eight-year-old man, for goodness’ sake, not a fourteen-year-old girl.